Hidden Treasure
by Deandra
Summary: Unexplained incidents begin to plague Meduseld. Fluffy little ONE-SHOT. Part 189 of the Elfwine Chronicles.


_**Part 189 of the Elfwine Chronicles. The Elfwine Chronicles are a series of one-shots built around the family group of Eomer, Lothiriel and Elfwine. The total number will depend on how many ideas I get for new vignettes.**_

_**A/N: My muses have utterly fled and I've not done much writing lately. Finally, last night, this came to me and I hammered it out. If we're lucky, it will break loose the dam and I'll begin writing once more. Did I mention my fascination with the tv show "Ghost Whisperer"…**_

**Hidden Treasure**

**(early May, 3020 III)**

As Lothiriel drew near her husband's study, she suddenly heard a muffled yell and then a string of vehement words in Rohirric. By the tone of his voice, she suspected she did not wish to learn the meaning of those particular words! Curious as to the cause, she hurried her steps.

From the doorway, she saw Eomer rubbing his shin with one hand as he used the other to wrestle with the drawer of a chest along the wall. Despite her concern for her new husband, she could not help smiling fondly at him. _Husband!_ They seemed to have waited forever to make it real, but now only a month later it almost felt as though they had always been together. Whatever adjustments they had made in living with each other, this felt like home; indeed, it felt more like home than any place she had ever known. The first time she realized that, it had puzzled her, since the bulk of her life had been spent by the sea in a far away land. Gradually, though, she had come to understand that this was home because this was where Eomer was. Regardless of what had come before in her life, it would never again be complete if he did not share it.

Stepping into the room, she interrupted his muttered imprecations. "What is the matter, my love? Are you injured?"

He glanced up, flushing slightly with embarrassment. Somewhat petulantly, he mumbled, "I was sure I closed that drawer, but apparently not completely. I barked my shin on it."

Teasingly she asked, "Are you becoming slow and clumsy now that you are king?"

"I am not clumsy!" he retorted, thoroughly affronted by the accusation. "And I am not slow either! It was merely…an accident. It could happen to anyone!"

Lothiriel bit back a smile. She had far too much experience dealing with wounded male pride to pursue this further. At least growing up in a house of four men had taught her that. "Are you bleeding?" she asked with concern, moving closer.

He tried to brush the matter aside, releasing his leg and pretending it no longer hurt. He moved back over to his desk, telling her over his shoulder, "I am well. Do not fret."

She pressed him down into his chair and leaned over him, planting a slow kiss on his lips. After several moments, she drew back and whispered, "It is my job to fret, my love! Let me see."

Less reluctantly he relented, and she knelt to examine his leg. His legging was torn and the skin was scuffed, but there was no blood. Still, he would have a bruise. "It does not appear too serious, though I am sure it was painful." She went to push the drawer the rest of the way into the chest, but had to maneuver it to get it straight as his efforts had skewed it so it did not want to move.

"Do be more careful, beloved. I cannot bear for you to suffer any injury…though I am sure my nursing skills will prove adequate to the situation…" She smiled beguilingly at him and he readily took her meaning.

"Indeed! Perhaps you need to examine it more closely. The light is poor in this room. You might see better in, say, our chamber?"

She grinned coyly. "Do you think that necessary? I thought I understood it no longer pained you."

"Well, there is still a dull throb to it. One can never be too careful, and I should change to fresh leggings also since these are unsightly for the king to wear," he explained innocently.

"Yes, I see your point," she replied with a solemn nod. "Come with me and we will check it more thoroughly!"

xx

The incident was largely forgotten two days later, until Lothiriel came to their chambers and found Eomer rubbing his elbow. She set down the laundry she was carrying as she asked, "Did you hurt your arm, my love?"

Eomer scowled at the dresser as he replied, "I bumped it on one of the drawers. I was getting a shirt from one of the lower drawers and when I stood up, I caught my elbow against a drawer that was partially open."

She smiled at him, her hands on her hips as she commented, "You do seem to be having difficulty with drawers of late, dearest! Are you certain you are not so giddy with love that you are inattentive to your surroundings?"

He moved over and swept her into his embrace. Leaning to press a kiss on her throat, he murmured, "I may be giddy with love, but it has not caused such mishaps before this. Perhaps you are a witch and have put a spell on me!"

She ran her fingers up into his hair to draw him up to look in his eyes. "I assure you," she said softly, "any spells I weave over you would not cause you harm in any way." Then her eyes crinkled with laughter as she added, "But, since you are indeed wounded, I suppose I shall need to kiss it better!"

"Aye!" Eomer murmured, as their discussion came to an end.

xx

After breakfast the next morning, Lothiriel went to talk to the head housekeeper, Durucwen, to discover their progress in restoring Meduseld to order after the wedding festivities and eventual departure of the last of their guests. Though the final group, her family, had left more than three weeks before, it was time-consuming cleaning and tidying all the rooms that had been used.

She found the woman in the small room that held all the dishes and utensils for formal dining. All of the drawers in the chest were standing open and Durucwen was staring at the cupboard with her arms crossed. "Is something amiss?" Lothiriel inquired, coming up beside her.

The woman started, not having noticed her approach, then shook her head slowly. "Not amiss, actually, only…"

Her words trailed off until Lothiriel prompted, "Only…?"

Her brow wrinkled, Durucwen said with a sigh, "Only…that!" She gestured to the open drawers of the cupboard.

"Were you looking for something in particular?" the queen asked, still not sure of the problem.

"_I_ was not looking for anything, my lady – _I_ did not do that. I came in here and found it like that, with all the drawers open. Nothing appears to have been taken, so I cannot imagine why anyone would open them all, or leave them open." She shrugged in helpless confusion.

Lothiriel eyed the cupboard more thoughtfully. There suddenly seemed to be a great many mishaps at Meduseld that involved drawers, and it was most curious. Still, she had no explanation for it, so she smiled reassuringly at the housekeeper and helped her close the drawers. "I am sure it was an oversight. No need for concern." Despite her words, though, the matter preyed on her mind.

She had not mentioned to Eomer what had happened, but the next day, she thought perhaps she would and see what he made of it. As she approached his study, however, a sense of familiarity washed over her. Once again, there was a muffled yell and Rohirric imprecations. Hurrying forward, she was met by the same scene as several days earlier. Eomer again rubbed his shin as he stood in front of the same chest along the wall of his study. Glancing down, she noted it was the same drawer as before.

"Again?" she asked, coming up behind him and wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Yes," he mumbled disgruntledly. "I swear I did not open that drawer!"

"Perhaps it is loose and slides out on its own. I will send for someone to look at it. Come, have dinner with me. You will be less cross once you have food in your belly."

He turned in her arms, and claimed her lips. "And what will be the dessert?" he asked as he drew slowly away.

She laughed and playfully slapped his chest. "Tonight! You will have to wait, I fear. I overheard Gamling say you are needed at the armorer just after our meal so he can fit your new cuirass."

He sighed, torn between the two activities, but knew full well which must take precedence. "Very well, then. Tonight."

In spite of the curtailment to their desired choice of activity, they enjoyed a pleasant meal together before parting ways. Lothiriel watched him exit out the great doors before turning back to his study. Time to take a look at that drawer and see what was the trouble. Despite her teasing, she knew Eomer was not at all clumsy. There had to be a logical explanation.

The chest was very old, and had many drawers and compartments in it. For the most part, it seemed merely to be used for storage. Maps were neatly snuggled in the cubicles along the top portion, and there was a broad surface on which to lay them for study. Eomer had indicated that it was little used, loaded with long unneeded items that no one was quite willing to discard entirely. The only reason he had even been near it was his thought that perhaps he should examine the contents and clear it out. He had opened two drawers but then gotten sidetracked as he straightened the maps, the only useful things the desk contained.

With a sigh, Lothiriel drew a chair near and plunked down to have a closer look. The troublesome drawer came open with little resistance, though there was no evidence it was so loose as to slide open of its own accord. The contents it held almost suggested it was something of a refuse place for junk. It held a broken candlestick, bits of candles in varied lengths and a chipped mug. Shoved farther back were some papers, a few with food or drink stains on them but they seemed of little consequence. She pulled all of it out, but saw nothing to claim her attention.

Leaning back in the chair, she idly studied the drawer, lost in thought. A moment later, she jerked upright in the chair – had that drawer just…_moved_? She stared hard at it for several minutes but nothing happened. Almost hesitantly, she reached out and shoved it quickly closed. As irrational as it was, she was slightly afraid to touch it.

She slowly leaned back once more, still watching it closely, but when nothing happened, she let out a ragged breath and laughed at her foolishness. Resting her head on the back of the chair, she closed her eyes and amused herself with thoughts of what Eomer would say if he ever found out about her skittish behavior.

Alas, this was not the way to make headway in her day, so she blinked open her eyes to finish the task. A carpenter could better deal with this than she; surely they could correct any defect, if there was one. The moment her eyes focused on the chest, her breath froze within her. With a mild shriek, she lurched backward, knocking the chair over in her haste to stand and retreat. The drawer she had completely shut only a moment before now stood fully open. Try as she might, she could not merely dismiss this as being due to 'looseness'.

The hair on the back of her neck felt raised and she rubbed her arms against a sudden chill. At the same time, though, she was desperately curious. Could this be a prank? When she was younger, her brothers had enjoyed pulling such elaborate pranks on her, and over the years she had become somewhat inured to them. She had taught herself not to react, and thus deprived her brothers of most of the pleasure they found in such activities. That self control had eventually caused them to cease the practice. But if this was a prank, who was behind it? Eomer? Had he even feigned injury to lure her in? Somehow she could not quite accept that – the mark on his leg had been very real. And even if it _was_ her husband, would he have opened the drawers in their chamber and the store room also? She could not shake the feeling that the incidents were somehow connected.

Drawing a decisive and steadying breath, she stepped forward, righting the chair and resuming her seat. She was no coward, and she would get to the bottom of this. As she reached for the drawer, however, it snapped suddenly closed, startling her. For a moment, she hesitated, then reached determinedly for the handle. Only the drawer which had readily opened before now resisted her efforts. She tugged hard until she was literally struggling to pull it free. Without warning, it abruptly came loose and she fell back in the chair, as the drawer dropped on the floor with its unexpected removal from the chest.

She drew several rapid breaths to calm herself before lifting the drawer to the top of the chest. Only now that it was full out could she see that she had not entirely emptied it of its contents as she had believed. Wedged, or forced, into the wood at the back was a piece of cloth which clearly held something. She carefully felt it but could not determine what it was, so she gently worked the cloth free from where it was snagged.

"What are you doing?" Eomer's voice from the doorway startled her so much she gave another shriek, which prompted him to raise a questioning eyebrow at her.

Clutching at her chest, her heart still hammering frantically, she stammered, "You frightened me! I…I found this in the back of that drawer. Do you know what it is?" She held out the cloth as she began to unwrap the edges, and only looked up when Eomer gave a sharp intake of breath.

"I do not believe it! I looked everywhere for that, and even Eowyn did not know where it was." He gently took the item from her hands and as he held it up, Lothiriel saw that it was a necklace.

"What is it?" she repeated, even more curious because of the look on her husband's face.

"It…it is the queen's pendant, worn as a badge of her office on formal occasions. It was last worn by Elfhild, Theodred's mother, but then Uncle put it away after her death. It was intended that Theodred would give it to his bride when he wed. I have not seen or thought about it for years. Only when we were betrothed did I wonder where it was and initiate a search. When it could not be located, Eowyn and I assumed that the Worm had managed to steal it. Many valuable items _disappeared_ during his tenure here!" Eomer's jaw tensed at the reminder of the treachery within his own house, even as a forefinger lightly traced over the facets of the blood red stone set in gold.

"Why did you never tell me about it?" she asked in puzzlement.

He shrugged. "I wished to surprise you, but then when it could not be found there was little reason to bring it to your notice. I assumed it was lost for good."

"But why would your uncle shove it so carelessly into the back of a little-used drawer? That seems most unusual for something so precious," Lothiriel observed.

Eomer again shrugged helplessly. "I know not." His eyes had darkened with emotion as he turned to her, adding, "But I am glad it is found – it is right that the Queen of Rohan should wear this once more."

They both jumped and Eomer insinuated himself in front of her when there was a loud bang nearby. To their astonishment, the drawer had fallen on the floor, though it had not been situated precariously on the chest. Drawing cautiously toward it as it lay on its side, Eomer saw a scrap of paper fixed to the wood with wax. Handing the necklace to Lothiriel, he carefully pried the paper loose and opened it.

There were only a few words written on it, but Eomer reread it several times. At length, Lothiriel asked, "What does it say?"

"It…it is from Theodred." His eyes met hers as she gasped. "It merely says 'Eomer – you will know what to do' and then his mark," he told her. He swallowed hard, before explaining, "He must have suspected Grima and made sure to hide this so it could not be taken. We were gone from Edoras so much that it would have been easy prey, and Eowyn could not be everywhere at once. And the Worm had so much influence over Theoden that Uncle would have given it to him if he knew where it was. Theodred must have hidden it, without telling me. I suppose he assumed I would find it eventually if he did not survive."

Lothiriel gazed at the note and then back at the drawer on the floor. "I am not so sure," she murmured thoughtfully, and his eyes narrowed questioningly. "I am not saying that I believe in spirits walking among us, but unusual things have been happening for nearly a week now. By themselves, they were of little import, but taken as a whole they seem designed to draw our attention to drawers – particularly this drawer – and to cause us to examine it more closely. Had we not done so, it is unlikely this would have been found for quite some time. You said yourself that the chest has long been ignored."

"What…are you saying?" Eomer asked cautiously, slightly unnerved by her words.

"I do not know. I just…would you truly ever have found it here? I thought I had pulled all the contents from that drawer but still did not notice it. If you or Eowyn even looked there in your search, it is likely it was missed for that very reason, so well was it concealed at the back. That being so, I think…perhaps…Theodred knew you had not found it and was determined to lead you to it. That is all." She shrugged apologetically. "Madness, I know, but there you have it."

Eomer rubbed the back of his neck as he paced away from her, contemplating her words. "Madness, perhaps, but I…almost must agree. I do not know if Eowyn ever looked there, but I did not, since nothing of value was ever kept in that chest. It could have remained hidden there for virtually forever. I convinced myself I had left the drawer ajar when it first happened, but in truth I am fairly certain I never even opened that lower drawer. I made it no further than the top couple of drawers before I turned my attention to the maps. Who knows how long it might have been before I ever even attempted another perusal of the chest's contents."

"Well," Lothiriel told him, eyeing the chest, "if we were being led to it, then there is one way to tell."

"What is that?" he asked, shifting beside her to wrap an arm around her shoulders as they looked at the curious chest.

"If the moving drawers were intended to guide us there, then that should stop since the jewel has been found," she explained.

Eomer looked down at the necklace, plucking it from his wife's hand to study it more closely. At length he closed his fist around it and turned to face her. "One thing is certain. It _is_ found and it belongs to you. I do not know what part Theodred may have in all this, but I am grateful it is not lost. This shall be one more part of restoring the Mark as it should be." He moved behind her and lowered the necklace over her head, lifting her hair to fall over the chain. Once done, he turned her to face him again and smiled. Softly he told her, "I choose to believe this means that Theodred has accepted you as queen of the Riddermark. Long live the queen!" Then he drew her to him in a loving kiss.

xx

In the days that followed, both watched nervously for any sign of unusual activity within the halls of Meduseld, but nothing further occurred. The drawers stayed precisely where they were left, and all could be explained. Neither ever told anyone the story of how the pendant had been discovered, and the populace was too delighted to see it adorning their queen to ask many questions.

Perhaps one day they would again see Theodred and could ask him about what part he might have played in this. As for Eomer, he simply knew a greater contentment and peace than ever before.

THE END

1/2/10

_**FYI: For those of you who remember the story "In Dreams" in which Eomer encounters Theodred and talks with him, that story took place more than 20 years after this story. Eomer did not ask Theodred about the necklace at that time because he was too caught off his guard at even seeing Theodred, much less speaking to him, to even recall this long-ago incident.**_

_**End note: **__** It is best that you read the Elfwine Chronicles in the order they were written.**__** The more of them that I wrote, the more likely I was to make reference to one of the previous ones and something that happened there. If you want to read them in order, go to the top of this page and click on my name (Deandra). That will take you to my profile page. Scroll down and you will find all the stories I have written. The Elfwine Chronicles are in order from bottom to top since ffn shows them in the order they were posted. A few were posted out of number order, but you can read them in posting order or number order since those few won't be affected in the story content.**_


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